How many times have you felt joy, only to have a negative interaction with someone and feel deflated after? It is hard to hang onto positive feelings sometimes. I’ve come to the conclusion that we are all interconnected in some way…most likely energy. This energy comes from the source…the life force…and in my life, it is God. We cannot see Him, but we see His hand in things. We cannot hear Him, but when He whispers we know He’s there. We cannot touch Him, but we can feel His presence. He is the ultimate source of energy…divine energy.
The opposite of the Love and Light of God…of the Purest Energy there is…is darkness. Evil. Satan. We are constantly walking through a battlefield between good and evil. The Bible tells us that the enemy comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. So, when we are feeling the Joy of the Lord in our lives and we encounter darkness…it tries to steal our Joy. The Bible tells us the enemy prowls around in the darkness like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
The Bible also tells us to resist the devil and he will flee. If we submit to God and resist the devil…he WILL flee. I hang onto this and use it every day. The Lord has removed people from my life that were bearers of darkness. But I had to ask Him to remove them. Our God is polite in that He does not go where He is not invited. But work in tandem with Him and you’ll see His work all around you.
One of the hardest things I struggle with is blaming myself when things go wrong. Someone I know seemed to make a choice not to have contact with me anymore. I kicked myself and thought something I had done had caused this. Then…there she was. Something has been going on in her life that I still don’t know about. But it didn’t have anything to do with me. All that angst because I was trying to control the situation instead of asking God to take it and bless her and keep her well.
We had a lovely day yesterday. We didn’t have anywhere to go. We took the Christmas tree down…finally! I was ready. Even though I love the twinkle lights, I was ready for the return of my unfettered view out the big picture window. I was going to make salmon patties for supper last night, but I only THOUGHT I had bought salmon at the store. It turns out I did not. Instead, I made a big breakfast for supper…eggs, turkey sausage, and hash browns. I love breakfast anytime!
We don’t go out for Valentine’s Day. I remember the days when that was a big occasion in my life. To get a box of chocolates or a dozen roses seemed like the ultimate declaration of love to me. Not so much anymore. I’ll pull something out of the freezer. Maybe I will bake a small sweet to celebrate with my sweetheart. We could go for a walk or watch a movie. We’ll just stay home and enjoy each other’s company. That beats any other scenario I could think of.
I remember when I lost Mr. Virgo. I hated Valentine’s Day with a passion. Same when my second husband and I split up. I remember riding a public bus in Denver and wanting to slap the people sneaking a smooch or holding hands. I was SO unhappy….I honestly wanted everyone to be as unhappy as I was. Eventually, the ice in my heart melted, the ache in my soul calmed to a containable level and again…I could celebrate the love of others till one day, I could celebrate my own Joy again.
Don’t let anyone steal your Joy today…or any other day. Hold on tight!
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”May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.“
Romans 15:13 NIV